India

1.
Posted byRiverRuner(Budding Member 38 posts) 11y
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My Husband and i want to travel to India this year from America. Tell me, when is the best time of year to go, and what is the cheapest way to travel there?

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4.
Posted byShrinagesh(Full Member 102 posts) 11y
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Nov to Feb is the best time, weatherwise. It could be hotduring other months.May, June and July will be the hottest.

Train Journey is the cheapest to travel.For US$12, you can travel from Delhi to Chennai, on Second class; a journey of more than 35 hours on a fast train covering 2200 kms..

5.
Posted bystokesy(Budding Member 76 posts) 11y
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travelling through india is easy by rail but go ist or 2nd class do not go any other class as it is uncomfortable,smelly and overcrowded stokesy

6.
Posted byNivedita(Budding Member 8 posts) 11y
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Second Class is the lowest you get in India. Dont travel by thatBut, you can travel by 3rd AC coaches which are cheap too.First class coaches have become almost non existent on the arrival of AC coaches.

7.
Posted byTravinfo(Budding Member 32 posts) 11y
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Hi,

Travelling in india, the first recommended would be 3 tier AC coachs during summers, in winter you can opt for 3 tier sleepers which are still lower cost. But you need advance reservations in any case.

Dont think of travelling in unreserved coaches Bus are not suitable in many areas because of long distances and poor sanitation at bus stops. Although its improving now but still lot to do.

Try air deccan and some smaller airlines tickets which are very cheap almost at the price of train tickets.

8.
Posted byPrem(Budding Member 39 posts) 11y
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Well, I would say book low cost airlines like Spicejet, Airdeccan. etc

There is a run for airlines in India now. I guess You may never think in life that you can travel for 800 Rs (with all taxes) in a plane.

9.
Posted byDegolasse(Travel Guru 823 posts) 11y
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The best time of year in India will depend on where you want to go. Every region has a slightly different climate so while one area is perfect it may be the worst time in others.

If you want to go to the mountain, then probably the warmer times of year is best. Ladakh in particular is only accessible in July and August. However, during this time it is the monsoon in much of India so you want to stay away from the South in particular as it gets quite wet. It may not be the best time, but at this time Rajasthan is perfectly travellable since it is pretty much a desert and doesn't get hit by the monsoons as much. Before the monsoon, in April and May, it is stinking hot in alot of India and you may want to avoid some areas, such as Rajasthan and the center. Nov-Feb, as mentioned above, is generally the best time to be in India, though its also the busiest(trains and hotels may be booked), and if you plan to head to the mountains you might find it too cold.

So what you have to do is figure out what region you are going to concentrate on, and then figure out the best time of year for that region. If you are planning a longer multi-region trip, then you can organize your itinerary based on the seasons.

10.
Posted bywouterrr(Travel Guru 3383 posts) 11y
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Quoting stokesy

travelling through india is easy by rail but go ist or 2nd class do not go any other class as it is uncomfortable,smelly and overcrowded stokesy

I absolutely don't agree. Third class sleeper (3AC) is very comfortable (this is the lowest class with AC). I usually took sleeper class (SL, without AC, but good for your wallet). Which is extremely cheap yet comfortable enough and you will meet the most interesting people. The train is a perfect place to meet Indians and to learn about their cultures. Unfortunately their are still travellers (I'd rather call them tourists) who go to India and sleep in 5 stars hotels and get on first class trains. If you want to see the real India this is absolutely not the way to go.

A trainjourney of 1000 km will cost for the different classes (source: Lonely planet 2005):